So Beautiful She's Dangerous: Rurouni Ayame
by MasterLink
Summary: When a mysterious girl visits the dojo, she brings up memories from Kenshin's past. Even though she is just a young girl, her sword skills are on par with Kenshin. On top of that, she also uses the Hiten-Mitsurugi style, and a reverse blade sword.
1. Search the Past:Enter the Silver Samurai

So Beautiful She's Dangerous: Rurouni Ayame  
  
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Rurouni Kenshin... But I've got a right to dream, right? Right? RIGHT? Ah, forget it... but Ayame (Hikaruu, not the one from the show) is mine.  
  
Prologue: Ayame, the youngest of the manslayers  
  
First of all, my name is Ayame Hikaruu... Back then, in the year 1867, Japan was torn by civil war... I fought for the Meiji government, which had claimed it would usher in a new regime, where everyone was equal. I wasn't well known; I mostly worked in the shadows, you know, assassination. I was walking a road that could only lead to more blood and killing... Hated, feared, and shrouded in mystery. Since the day I was hired as an assassin, no one who I've set my sights on has ever seen my eyes and lived to tell about it... all but one...  
  
Search the Past: Enter the Silver Samurai  
  
It was a dreary day, and rain clouds covered the sky, promising duration over strength. As lighting came down from the sky, a shadow flashed out of an alleyway and onto a rooftop. As a pair of policemen rounded the corner, they spotted the figure against the lightning-streaked sky. "There he is! Get him!" shouted one of them, pointing up to the roof. As quickly as he said that, the figure was gone, running down the street.  
  
The chase was on. The two officers split up, hoping to cut the fugitive off. The one who was pursuing him directly came down the street just in time to see a blaze of silver hair flash around the corner. When the policeman at last got around, the fugitive was gone without a trace. "Damn it! He got away!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Hey, you! Don't you know it's illegal to carry a sword around?" The young silver-haired girl turned around to face the man who was talking to her. It was a young officer, who looked like he was new on the job. "What, this old thing?" she asked, taking the sheath off her belt. Using her thumb, she flipped it up and out of the sheath, pulling the sword out and handing it to him. "That sword couldn't kill anyone, just look at it." "The blade... It's on the wrong side?" "It's a reverse-blade sword," she replied with a smile. "I guess I can let it slide this time," he said, putting the sword back into the sheath. "But what's a little girl like you doing with a sword, whether reverse-blade or not? Is it your father's or something?"  
  
At that question, she looked away. It seemed as though she wasn't prepared for that question. "You probably wouldn't understand... The sword is mine, as strange as it may sound. Please, don't ask any more questions. You're bringing up old memories." Without waiting for a reply, she tied the sheath back on and walked away.  
  
"W-wait!" cried the officer, making an attempt to go after her. She turned her head, looking at him from the corner of her eye, and as quick as lightning, she disappeared from sight. "Where'd she go?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
'It's a fine day, that it is,' thought the man who was sitting in the tree outside the Kamiya Kasshin dojo. He wore a fuchsia samurai uniform, and had a flash of crimson hair tied into a ponytail. From the inside of the dojo, he heard a woman's voice say, "Kenshin! Where did you go?" "Coming, miss Kaoru!" he replied.  
  
In a single, fluid motion, Kenshin jumped from the high limb and landed gracefully on the ground. He walked into the dojo and went to see what she wanted.  
  
"Yes, miss Kaoru?" "There you are! I've been looking all over for you, Kenshin. I need you to go into the market and get some things, okay?" She handed him a shopping list and sent him on his way.  
  
From the door came a girl's voice, saying, "Hello, is there anyone here?" Kaoru went to see who it was, and was surprised to find that the voice belonged to a girl of about fourteen, with long silvery hair and a white samurai uniform adorned by a sky blue flower pattern. "Hello, can I help you?" "Hi, my name is Ayame Hikaruu. Is this the Kamiya Kasshin dojo?" "Why yes it is," replied Kaoru, as a wonderful thought came into her mind. "Are you here for lessons? Please, say you are!" "Actually, I'm looking for a certain man. I think he goes by the name of Kenshin Himura these days." "He's gone to the market now. Why are you looking for him?" "You could say I'm a friend from way back." 'In a manner of speaking...' "Well, you can stay here and wait for him if you want." "No, no, thank you, though. I prefer to take action in these matters. I'll be on my way now."  
  
As she walked away, Kaoru noticed the sheath at her side. 'Is that a sword? Doesn't she know that real swords are outlawed? Oh, it's probably just my imagination. I mean, why would such a young girl have a real sword anyway?' "That's it, it was just my imagination. But... I wonder..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Kenshin was walking back down the road in the direction of the dojo, groceries in hand, when he heard a girl's voice in the distance say, "Don't make me use this. I do not wish to harm you." Kenshin ran to investigate, and saw a girl with flowing, silver hair. 'I've never seen her in town before.' Then, he noticed that she was being surrounded by a gang of thugs. She had her hand on something by her waist, but it was blocked from his view.  
  
"Don't joke around, little child. A brat like you wouldn't know how to use a sword. Now, just hand over your money, and we'll be on our way." Kenshin dropped the packages he was holding and began to run up toward the thugs as they began to close in. "Unless you wish to taste the ground, you wont go any nearer to her, that you wont." The one who seemed to be the leader turned around and said, "What's this? A tough guy, are you?" "Stay out of this, red-head! I can handle these third-rate goons myself!" The girl's voice diverted Kenshin's attention long enough for the leader to sucker- punch him onto the ground. "That should teach you to mess with the Shinto- San group."  
  
Behind him, the leader heard a bunch of agonized moans, coupled with cracking bones. When he turned around, he found that half of the group had been taken out, and the conscious half were backing away from the girl, who was holding a sword in her hand. "She's not human!" exclaimed one, who had tripped over himself, and was crab-walking back, away from her. "I warned you not to incur my wrath. This is just a taste of my power!" In a split second, she took off like greased lightning, slashing to and fro, until only the leader was left.  
  
Kenshin had been watching the spectacle, and would have been in awe of her skill, if he were not so preoccupied with thought. 'The way she handles a sword... it is almost as if she has been trained in the Hiten Mitsurugi style! But that's impossible, as I am the only one who uses that style...'  
  
As the girl fought on against the leader, it grew more and more evident that she may well have been trained in the Hiten Mitsurugi style. Her slashes were swift, fluid motions, which would have been clean cuts, had the sword been sharp. "And now, the grand finale! Hiten Mitsurugi style, RYUUTSUISEN!"  
  
"RYUUTSUISEN!? HOW!?" cried out Kenshin, taken aback. The girl leapt into the air, using the sun to blind her opponent. With godlike speed, she came down upon the leader's shoulder, knocking him out cold. "Pitiful man. He didn't stand a chance against Ryuutsuisen. If I hadn't held back, I'd be facing murder charges." She replaced the sword into the sheath, and looked over to Kenshin. Her crystal-blue eyes seemed to bore straight into his soul, as if she was staring straight through him.  
  
"How do you know the Hiten Mitsurugi style?" Kenshin demanded, instinctively reaching for his sword. "Calm down, red. I've got no reason to want to fight you... yet. However, if you are who I think you are, you might have a reason to fight me." "What do you mean?" "You don't remember much from the time when you were the Battosai, do you? No, you've pushed the thoughts away, tried to leave them behind." "Battosai is a name I have no attachment to anymore." "Easy, red. I know your story... It's remarkably similar to mine. Which is why we need to end the mystery. Think back, to the revolution. In those memories, you will find all the answers you need. Until then, I will be near." She backed up and pulled a bottle from her uniform, tossing it to the ground. In a puff of smoke, she vanished. 'Back to the revolution... I must think.'  
  
Kenshin picked up the groceries, still half daydreaming, and walked back to the dojo, where Kaoru would surely be waiting.  
  
So, what do you all think? Bet you're all wondering what little miss Ayame was talking about, huh? Well, you'll have to wait if you want to find out. Please R&R. 


	2. Another Boarder:Kenshin Meets his Double

Disclaimer: Once again, no, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Just remember, Ayame Hikaruu is mine, so keep your paws off! P  
  
Another Boarder: Kenshin Meets His Double  
  
'Think back, to the revolution. There you will find all the answers you need.' Her words burned into Kenshin's mind. After bringing the groceries into the dojo, Kenshin had returned to the tree. There he sat, contemplating her words. 'She wants me to think to the past... But will I really find the answers?'  
  
"Kenshin?" He was suddenly, stirred from his trance as he heard Sanosuke's voice call out to him from below. "Yes, Sano?" "It's time for lunch. Ya coming down, or what?" "I'll be right there, Sano." He jumped down from the tree once again, walked in, and sat down to eat. Yahiko was eating quite slowly, acting as if he were trying to choke it down, and Kenshin simply sat there without touching it.  
  
"What's wrong Kenshin? Usually you're the only one who likes my cooking," said Kaoru. "Oh, it's not that, miss Kaoru, I'm sure it's quite delicious... I've had a lot on my mind lately, that's all." He finally began eating, though his mind was elsewhere, focused on what the girl had said. 'Think back... think back, to the revolution... all the answers you need...'  
  
When he had finished, he stood and said, "If you'll excuse me, I have to go now." "Hey, where're ya going, Kenshin?" asked Sanosuke. "There is... some unfinished business I must attend to." Without another word, he walked outside. He went into the forest, where there was a clearing, and sat down against a tree. 'Now, I can think back without fear of being disturbed.'  
  
He bowed his head and closed his eyes, deep in thought. Soon, images began to flash through his mind. A sword reddened with blood. People falling, dead before they hit the ground. Men rushing to defend their villages. Warriors fighting in vain against a single man. Quickly, the images strung together, into a single memory, a replayed vision from the past.  
  
As bodies fell to the ground around him, the Battousai stared coldly into the night. He was a bloodthirsty killer, with only a thread of a conscience to keep him human. His sword sliced through body after body, streaks of warm blood flying through the air, settling upon the ground like a crimson rain. All around was death and destruction, and the men of the village grabbed whatever they could to defend themselves and their families, but it was all in vain. The legendary Battousai was thought of as invincible, cutting down whoever was foolish enough to oppose him. On and on through the night, screams could be heard, the agonized moans of pain, cut short with the swing of his sword. High above, the full moon lit the sky, crimson in color, almost as homage to the Battousai's slaughter. Finally, he thought that the last scream had been silenced. As he turned to walk away, however, he heard the sound of sandals hitting dirt. "Walk no further, red. I wish to fight you, and prove that I am the one who deserves the title, 'Strongest of the Imperialists.' " The Battousai turned to find a young girl with silver hair standing defiantly in the street, staring at him with her crystal blue eyes. "Go home, little girl. It is dangerous to meddle with the Battousai's affairs, that it is." Then, for the first time, he truly looked into her eyes. "I see. You appear to be a little girl, but you have the eyes of a manslayer. Very well, I will fight you." Faster than could be seen by the average person, the girl had rushed in, and the scrapes and tings of metal against metal were soon heard. For the first time, the Battousai had found a worthy opponent, no less in this teenage girl. But the girl was more than worthy, and the Battousai was cocky and drunken with sadistic pleasure. In an instant, the girl's foot connected with his face, and he found himself on his back, with a sword at his chin, and his own sword obtruding from the ground ten feet away. The girl stared coldly down upon him and said, "For a strange reason, I don't wish to kill you as I have so many others before you." Keeping her foot on his chest so as to prevent him from getting away, she sheathed her sword. "Instead, your sword should suffice as my prize." She released him from her hold and drew the Battousai's sword from the ground. She withdrew a cloth from her uniform and wiped the blade off; the blood had dried and dirt caked the tip. "Farewell, my red-headed samurai." Then, she pulled out a bottle and tossed it to the ground, creating a puff of smoke. When it dissipated, the Battousai was left alone, on the ground, surrounded by his own destruction.  
  
When at last Kenshin had come back into alertness, he realized who the strange silver-haired girl was. 'That girl... she is the same one who had almost killed me in the revolution. But what has she come back for? Does she wish to finish what started back then? No, that can't be... otherwise, she would have struck me down in the market... It must be something else.'  
  
"So, remember me yet, red?" Kenshin was startled by this voice, standing straight up. He looked above him, where the girl had been staring down at him from a branch for the last few minutes. "How did you..." "Sneak up to you without being detected? Your Ki senses aren't perfect, ya know, red. Someone as skilled as me could-" she disappeared from sight, and reappeared right beside him, "-be standing right next to you and you'd never know." Kenshin jumped, startled. "Of course, you were kind of shut off to the world, so that helped."  
  
"Please tell me, how do you know the Hiten Mitsurugi style?" Kenshin said, turning back to look at her. However, she was nowhere to be found. "Over here, red." He looked back behind himself again, and sure enough, there she was, hanging upside-down from a tree limb. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything in good time. But first," she said as her stomach grumbled, "ya got anything to eat?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Hmmm-mmm... This is delicious! You've got no idea how long it's been since I've had a home-cooked meal." Inside the dojo, the girl was hanging upside- down once again, this time on one of the rafters. In her hand was a wooden bowl filled to the brim with rice balls. "Oh! I'm sorry! I never told you my name! I'm Ayame." She stuffed a rice ball into her mouth and continued, "Orme Hikru." Swallowing the rice ball she corrected, "What I meant to say is, Ayame Hikaruu." "Ah... Yes, Ayame... Could I ask why you're hanging from the rafters?" "Oh, it's just a habit of mine. Hanging upside-down is just something I do to relax myself."  
  
She bent herself upward and put the bowl on the rafter just as Sanosuke walked in. "Hey Kenshin, I thought I heard you talking to some- WOAH!" Ayame allowed herself to go back into a hanging position, smacking into Sanosuke's face. "Ow... you've got a REALLY hard head, ya know that?" said Ayame, rubbing the back of her head. "What's with batty?" "She is an old friend... sort of." "Where'd she come from?" "I'm a wanderer. Just like red over there," Ayame said, grabbing the bowl and beginning to eat again.  
  
"And by the way, don't call me batty. Got it, shrimpy?" "Why you!" Sanosuke swung a punch, but Ayame dodged by swinging to the left. "Zat all you got?" She dodged another punch to the right, then ate the last of the rice balls and threw the bowl into Sanosuke's face. "Hah! Couldn't even hit me!" She dropped down to the floor and took the bowl off his head, saying, "Hey, are you okay?" Sanosuke's face was red and filled with splinters, and he was looking away with a defiant pout. "Sorry, must've thrown it too hard. That's another habit of mine... I don't rightly know my own strength, so I tend to overdo things."  
  
"You've certainly proven that, that you have. I wanted to ask you a few questions, though. If you're ready, that is." "Sure thing. Ask away." "First, I want to know who taught you the Hiten Mitsurugi style of swordsmanship." "Well, that's a long story... It started when I was about five years old... In the village where I lived, there was a fire. The villagers tried to put the fire out, my parents among them. It was all in vain, though. In a few minutes, the entire village was engulfed in flames.  
  
"It didn't look like there was any escaping, but just as it looked like the end, a man came down from the trees surrounding the village and picked me up. He took me to safety, but... My parents perished in the fire. I found out that the man who saved me was a samurai who called himself Hiko." "HIKO!?" "Yes, Hiko. Did you know him too?" "Hiko was my Shishou... But he never mentioned that he took anyone else in." "He never said anything about you, either. Anyway, he started training me immediately, though I had to use a Kodachi because of my size. A few years later, the revolution started, and Hiko pulled a move no one expected... He put ME in the army! Well, in a way. I was more of a hitokiri than a soldier... I think you know what happened next." Kenshin put his hand up and scratched the back of his head, saying, "Yes, no matter what I do to try to erase the revolution from my mind, I won't forget that fight, that I won't."  
  
"Well, after the fight, I just wandered off. Don't really know why, I just did. In my travels, I heard that you did the same... I even heard that you made a vow to never kill again. I know it sounds corny, but you helped me turn my life around. After hearing what you did, I had my blade converted to a Sakabatou too. Oh, in case you were wondering, your old sword is hanging in a museum in Aoiya. None of them really believed me when I said it was the Battousai's sword, but they took it anyway because I said I'd give it to them for free, as long as they let me see it whenever I wanted. Well, that's pretty much all the important stuff, right up until now. Anything else you want to know?" "Yes... You say Hiko taught you what you know. How is it- and I might even add, why is it- that he kept us secret from each other?" "You should take that up with Hiko. I had no idea you were trained by him too until now. Hey, I guess that sorta makes you my big brother, doesn't it, red?"  
  
By this time, Sanosuke had pulled most of the splinters from his face, and was listening intently to the conversation. "Ha! Lucky you, Kenshin. I almost feel sorry for you, having bat girl for a sister." Ayame reached up to Sanosuke's face and said, "You missed one," as she pulled a stray splinter from it. "Oh, thanks." 'Thwap!' The back of Ayame's hand cracked into Sano's nose, and she said. "And don't call me bat girl, either. I can't help it if hanging upside-down relaxes me."  
  
"It seems as though Sano has met his mach, that it does. But having you for a sister wouldn't be as bad as he seems to think, in any case." "At least SOMEONE appreciates me. I'm glad it's you, though, and not shrimpy over there." "You little brat!" Sanosuke leapt at her, but she sidestepped him and put him into a headlock. "Hey! Let me go!" "Say uncle!" "NO!" She held him tighter into the headlock and repeated, "SAY UNCLE!" At this, Kenshin was having quite a laugh. "Kenshin! She's your sister, do something!" "I would, but it's too funny, Sano, that it is."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"So you're Kenshin's adopted sister? How strange... I never imagined Kenshin with a sister," said miss Kaoru, as she took a break from sword practice. "In a sense. By the way, the rice balls you cooked were delicious. Red told me to help myself to as many as I wanted." "Finally, someone else realizes my cooking talents!" "I say it just runs in the family," taunted Yahiko, who as resting as well. "WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" "That's not really possible, seeing as we're not blood relatives."  
  
"You're sure you don't want lessons? Even just a tiny bit?" "No thanks, I'm all set," replied Ayame, patting her sword. "So it really IS a real sword." "Hey, why does she get to have a real sword?" "Because, pipsqueak, I've had the right training. Besides, it's just a Sakabatou." "You mean you use a reverse-blade sword just like Kenshin?" "Right on the nail. In fact, I use it JUST like red. And I mean exactly, if you catch my drift." "Are you really trying to say that an ugly girl like you knows the Hiten Mitsurugi style?" retorted Yahiko.  
  
"If I were you, I'd choose my words a little wiser, Yahiko," said Kenshin, who had just walked in carrying newly done laundry. "Unless you want to end up like Sanosuke, that is." "No way! Look at her! Her hair isn't even the right color! It's all white, and stringy!" 'Smack!' Yahiko was silenced with a flog to the head as Ayame's hand collided with his skull. "I'm very sensitive about my hair. Make fun of it, I'll kill you, touch it, I'll kill you. All figuratively speaking, of course."  
  
"I'll make a m-mental n-note of th-that..." said Yahiko, dizzy with pain. "Ayame strikes once again," said Kenshin with a laugh, as he set the clothes down. "At this rate, I'll have no boarders left. When can I hire you?" joked Kaoru, referring to the fact that they were all pretty much freeloaders, with the exception of Kenshin, who actually did dishes and laundry. "You're not planning on staying though, are you? I can barely feed these freeloaders as it is, let alone take in another." "Don't worry, I'll pull my weight around here. In fact, I'll probably pull enough weight to make up for those other two LIGHTweights." "We'll see about that..." 'Though I'm not sure if I can throw Kenshin's sister out... oh dear.'  
  
So, Ayame is Kenshin's sister, eh? Other than that, this chapter was pretty uneventful, wasn't it? Well, there'll be plenty more action and a little foreshadowing in the next one, so please R&R 


End file.
